The All Blue variety of blue potatoes.
Potatoes can be blue or purple, depending on
the soil in which they are grown. Photo
courtesy Burpee.com.

Blue Foods. In the blue group are blackberries, blueberries, blue cheese, blue corn, Concord grapes, pale blue oyster mushrooms and edible flowers like bachelor’s buttons. And there are exotica like decaisnea, an Asian plant known as dead man’s fingers, with a blue pod and edible blue pulp.

Purple Foods. In the purple group: black currants; black rice; eggplant; elderberries; figs; red cabbage; purple artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, grapes “green” beams, and kohlrabi; plums; prunes; raisins; and some microgreens.

But our favorite in the blue and purple group are blue and purple potatoes and yams, which have both blue/purple flesh and skin. More flavorful than many starchy white potatoes, they tend to have a slight earthy and nutty flavor. Look for them in specialty produce markets or better supermarkets.

The blue or purple color comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that create red, blue and purple colors, depending on the pH of the soil and other growing factors.

They are generally harvested young, which is why they tend to be smaller and rounder. Leave them in the ground and they’ll grow larger and oblong.

According to Web MD, they’re a heart healthy vegetable, helping to lower blood pressure. What better reason to go out and buy some!

A Versatile Potato

Blue and purple potatoes have a medium-starchy texture. They keep their shape when baked but also mash and blend easily—for example, into potato soup, shown in the photo at right.

The pop of color is a delight in potato salads and a surprise in dishes like blue/purple potato soup.

Make fun dishes like purple potato chips or potato latkes. Mix purple potatoes with orange-fleshed squash. Try a purple potato pizza with smoked salmon and salmon roe, or with caramelized onions and rosemary.

For Easter, how about this purple potato soup from Family Spice? Here’s the recipe.

Purple mashed potatoes are also stunning on the table. If your tradition is roast lamb with rosemary potatoes, make those potatoes purple—or a mix of purple and white.

One suggestion you shouldn’t pass up: red, white and blue potato salad for Independence Day!

Other people have discovered that, beyond bread, a serrated blade cuts tomatoes, meat and other foods better than the chef’s knife, utility knife or other choice from the cutlery set.

We’re one of those “other people.” We used our bread knife for much more than bread.

And then we discovered Nogent, a French cutlery manufacturer founded in 1923.

The bread knife (photo at left) has a familiar serrated edge; but all of the other knives are micro-serrated.

Almost invisible to the naked eye, these precision edges comprise 100 micro-serrations per inch and are terrific for anything—chopping, dicing, mincing and slicing. We can slice a tomato thinner with our Nogent chef’s knife than with any other knife we own.

The knives never have to be sharpened! We’ve been using our knife for three or more years, and it’s as sharp as ever.

The blades are handcrafted of molybdenum, a compound that is used in high-strength carbide steel and carbon stainless steel.

The handles are molded polymer of an design. The polymer feels good in the hand, as does the ergonomic grip.

If there’s anything to mar perfection, it’s that the handles are plastic and “authentic hornbeam wood” that looks like plastic.

Our chef’s knife is two-toned ecru and what looks like faux wood but is actually real (see photo above). To us it looks very dated, like those beige and faux wood station wagons from the Eisenhower era.

But, Nogent has since moved to modern, if nondescript, black polypropylene handles, among other choices. They’re a much better look.

You can still find some of wood handles, but the new handles are a preferable “basic black.” Photo courtesy Nogent.

WHERE TO FIND NOGENT

Nogent makes a complete range of cutlery, from peelers and paring knives to boning and carving knives. The challenge is to find them!

We found the chef’s knife on Amazon.com for $58.99.

The utility knife is $25.74.

The paring knife is $15.20; we also spotted the boning knife, bread knife, carving knife, steak knife, peelers and other pieces of the line.

The prices vary based on the line, which seems to be differentiated by handle material.

Looking for a gift for someone who likes to cook—or is starting to learn? One or more Nogent knives will make cooking so much more pleasurable.

Just as important, treat yourself to the chef’s knife. Then, book a vacation to France, and bring home knives instead of less useful souvenirs.

Why did it take so long, we wondered, as we read the press release about Dunkin’ Donuts’ new Easter donut topped with a real Peeps marshmallow chick.

The yeast donut, shaped like a flower, is available in two flavors: strawberry flavored icing with pastel green icing drizzle, or pastel green icing with strawberry flavored icing drizzle.

The Peeps that top the donuts are slightly smaller than the normal Peeps chicks.

Gather ye donuts while ye may: They’re available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations nationwide for a limited time only.

Worldwide, Dunkin’ Donuts sells 2.5 billion donuts and annually. In the U.S., Dunkin’ Donuts offers more than 70 varieties of donuts. Favorite flavors include Boston Kreme, Glazed and Chocolate Frosted.

Find the store nearest to you at DunkinDonuts.com.

Patti Costello, manager of the initiative, explains that her goal was to make popular foods healthier. “There are approximately 500 members of the Cayuga Nation across the United States,” she notes, “and quite a few of them have problems with weight, diabetes and other heath issues.”

Plus, members of the Nation “also love getting products that have been grown on their ancestral lands!”

While they’re not reduced-calorie products per se, the ingredients are excellent. We tasted the samples that Patty sent, and particularly love the conserves, jams and jellies. Be sure to try the “sweet heat”—jams and jellies made with jalapeños.

We’ve already laid in a supply for Mother’s Day party favors.

The products include:

Fruit and jalapeños combine to make exciting jams and jellies. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

Everything we tried was delicious; the Green Tomato Raspberry Jam, an old-fashioned standard that is hard to find these days, is a knockout. We were so sad when the last drop was gone; but we can say the same about the Blueberry Rhubarb Jam, Strawberry Jalapeño Jam, and everything else we tried in the jam-jelly group.

You can see the full line at GakwiyoProvisions.com.

It’s delicious on everything from bread to ice
cream. Here, Habanero Gold Jelly. Photo by
Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

If you need guidance on how to use “hot” jams and jellies, here’s how we enjoy them:

1. Breads & Crackers. Use them on anything and everything: from toast and bagels to biscuits and muffins to flatbreads and crackers. Hot pairs well with dairy; the jams are terrific with cream cheese.

2. Breakfast Foods. Dab some on pancakes, waffles and French toast; use as a condiment with eggs or in an omelet; mix into a spicy fruit yogurt.

3. Sandwiches. Replace your regular jam—including on peanut butter sandwiches.

4. Hors D’Oeuvres. Top a block of cream cheese or a log of goat cheese and serve with crackers or sliced baguette; top a baked Brie (optional: sprinkle with sliced or chopped toasted almonds).

5. Savory Sauce Or Marinade. Add to marinade or basting sauce for meats or fish; deglaze the pan by adding jam plus water, stock or wine to make a sweet-and-sizzling sauce.

6. Meat Or Fish Condiments. The jams are a delicious accent to pretty much any grilled or roast meat, poultry or fish. The first night we tasted them, we enjoyed them with a Certified Angus Beef strip steak, grilled outdoors over coals. Delicious!

7. Dessert Sauce. Serve over ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, cheesecake, or pound cake (with whipped cream).
 

Gakwiyo makes some 35 different products, and have recently started to sell them online and at farmers markets and festivals, to a great response.

Try some and you’ll see why!

We’re cooking up some food fun for tomorrow, April Fool’s Day. This year, it’s trompe-l’oeil food.

Trompe-l’oeil (pronounced trump LOY), French for “deceive the eye”, is an art technique that creates the optical illusion that a piece of two-dimensional art exists in three dimensions.

You may have seen some amazing sidewalk art that fools you into thinking you’re about to step into a hole, a pool, etc.

Here’s one of our favorite trompe l’oeil paintings, of a boy “climbing out of” the picture frame.

We’re adapting the “deceive the eye” reference to “food trompe-l’oeil”—food that looks like one thing but is actually another. Serve this “grilled cheese and tomato soup” dish, which is actually orange pound cake and strawberry soup.

Thanks to Zulka Morena sugar for the recipes and fun idea. If you’ve got a great palate or simply prefer less processed sugar, try it. The top-quality sugar is minimally processed and never refined. You can taste the difference!
 
 
RECIPE #1: ORANGE POUND CAKE

Ingredients

For The Pound Cake

 
For the Frosting

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a standard loaf pan.

2. CREAM together in a medium bowl the butter, sugar, and orange zest until fluffy. Add the eggs in 3 parts, combining well after each addition. In a separate small bowl…

3. COMBINE the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined. Add the sour cream and orange juice and mix well.

4. POUR into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top, and bake for 1 hour or longer, until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much before the cake is done, tent it with a piece of foil.

5. REMOVE from oven; cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

6. MIX the frosting ingredients together until well combined. Add more food color as needed to reach the desired color.

7. ASSEMBLE: Slice the pound cake into 1/2 inch slices. Spread a small amount of butter on one side and grill on a griddle or skillet until toasted looking, being careful not to burn. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining slices. Once all are cool…

8. CUT them each in half to make the two halves of each “sandwich.” Spread about a tablespoon of frosting on a non-toasted side of the cake, spreading some to the edges to make it look like melted cheese, and then top with the other half. Repeat with the emaining slices.
 
 
RECIPE #2: CHILLED STRAWBERRY SOUP

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. DICE the strawberries, sprinkle the sugar over the top, and let sit for 15 minutes. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Let chill completely. If you want the color to be more orange, like tomato soup, add a few drops of yellow food color.

2. DIVIDE among 6 bowls. Drizzle a little heavy cream over the top and garnish with basil leaves.

[1] April Fool’s food: Standing in for tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich are strawberry soup and pound cake (photo © Zulka Sugar).

[2] Orange zest and juice create a delicious orange pound cake (photo © Eva Elijas | Pexels).

[3] Sour cream adds richness (photo © Yelena Yemchuk | Panther Media).

[4] Zulka makes less processed, better tasting sugar. (photo © Zulka Sugar).

[5] Turn fresh strawberries into delicious strawberry soup (photo © Good Eggs).

The origin of April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is obscure. The most accepted explanation traces it to 16th century France.

Until 1564, the Julian calendar, which observed the beginning of the New Year in April, was in use. According to The Oxford Companion to the Year, King Charles IX then declared that France would begin using the Gregorian calendar, which shifted New Year’s Day to January 1st.

Some people continued to use the Julian Calendar, and were mocked as fools. They were invited to bogus parties, sent on a fool’s errand (looking for things that don’t exist), and other pranks.

The French call April 1st Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish. French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying “Poisson d’Avril” when the prank is discovered.

What a fish has to do with April Fool’s Day is not clear. But in the name of a kinder, gentler world, we propose eliminating this holiday. (Source: Wikipedia)